Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-11-18
On the Natter of Taxation.

EDITOR STANDARD: Has it ever oc-
CURED to you that one Of the causes
OF complaint in this charming town,
one of the reasons why accumulated
capital G0cS uWdU from here and why
1t does not come here from the outside
would, is because OF the enormous
taxes which for several years have
been the rule?
In " the good old days before I'M
der the impulse of progress CD we as
stunned the expensive airs and officers
eli a city OF ten thousand people, in
stead OF two, the lamcnted Marshall
Blinn and ". W. Miller, experienced
members OF the town board, used to
say, that u properly managed levy OF
three mills upon the property valua-
ton here, was ample to keep up all
necessary public Improvements and
to preserve the municipality clear OF
debt. ! think the financial shrcwd-
ness Of these two old-time citizens can
scarcely he questioned and believe it
Is the opinion OF the fifty or sixty per
sons who i'll this community pay more
then NAY the tdres, that the high taxa
ton which obtains, is one of the seri-
Gus matters, which call for immediate
and earnest consideration. During
the two years past, more than one
hundred thousand dollars have passed
quietly out Of this city for investment
in san Francisco, and in the prcced-
ing year, sixty thousand went there at
q" one fell swoop." Why? Because
though rarely an investment there
pays more than seven or eight per
cent. the rate of taxation for munich
pal, county and state purposes, in that
boss-ridden city has not averaged in
twenty years, above one and one-hali
per cent. Last summer a party OF
gentlemen from the far-oH New Eng
land States was here, that represented
Il capital of five or six millions. De
lighted with the beauty of the town,
pleased with the surroundings and
the cordial hospitality of our people
two of them said in my hearing, that
as a place for investment, because de
sirable real estate seemed held ut such
low figures and because of the fine
climate, that they had about con-
cludcd to put some money here, with
the certainty of good returns in the
rise III values which must come, and
rs home i'll which to spend their
summers, when, as prudent business
men, they enquired the rate of taxa
ton. The reply, "Fourteen mills
settled the business and with the re-
mark: No wonder Your town is
quiet for want of capital and new
comers," they sailed away, and in a
beautiful Oregon town, planted about
twentythree thousand dollars. This
is the opinion of outsiders. Now, for
the opinion of those who know us and
our methods. In Tumwater, the other
day, | said to one of the leading citi-
zens: Why don't you disincorporate?
| don't see any reason for your paying
two taxes here. ave Incorporated
the last time, because Olympia wanted
to gobble us up and sinch us to death
with high taxes. We have the best
water power on Puget Sound and it
cannot be long now, with the great
immigration from the East, which is
filling California and Oregon, before
some of it will come here, and capital
will follow it, and we don't want to
scare it away with high taxes" Looked
at from any standpoint, capital is
always able to take care of itself, and
from my observation, it does not
thirst for an abiding place where it
will be absorbed for the public good,
any more than our merchants bring
goods here, simply to oblige "the
dear people" We want working CAPT
tai here as much as in any other Puget
Sound city and in my humble opinion
it would be good municipal policy to
encourage its coming, and even to
coax it little. S.